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∎❘ . F O U R.
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Y E A R S O F S U M M E R |
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a roleplay by
Chai & The_PG ▬▬▬ W A R N I N G : contains nsfw images ! |
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Cars rolled down the street, stragglers almost late for their commute, while people filtered on the sidewalks. Summer counted at least four joggers that passed by, clearly taking advantage of the crisp, August morning air. Behind her, a mother with her young daughter in tow opened the door to the Starbucks. Other shops, restaurants, and businesses that weren't yet open lined the pavement while luxury apartments and condos stretched skyward. And while not visible from where she was seated, Summer knew the entrances to this insular community of uptown Seattle were marked by grand signs that read 'The Grove Shops and Residences.' She sipped her latte and stood, beginning her short walk back to David's condo. Technically it was home now, but it certainly didn't feel like home. It was so different from the small town she'd grown up in―just a week ago she'd been cooped up in a quaint house in the historic Centralia, some hour-and-a-half drive away, and now she was in nearly the heart of the city. It wasn't exactly what she'd imagined college would be like. Most freshman lived in dorms, and while the space would have been more cramped, that might have been preferable to whatever was going on now. Marie, her mother, had been insistent that the only way she would allow her daughter to ship off to the University of Washington was if there was somebody to look after her. She'd said 'look after' but Summer knew what it likely meant: someone to monitor her whereabouts and behavior. Someone to control her. And that somebody had been David. But the opportunity had been too good to pass up―with her slipping grades her junior and senior year of school, she was sure she'd just barely received acceptance from the competitive university. And at the very least her mother was out of her life. The condo building came into view as she rounded the corner. Like the other buildings, the ground level had its own share of businesses; a restaurant and bar, an upscale dog groomer, and David's own photography studio were the standouts along the facade. Further into the walkway was the condo entrance, the luxurious lobby just a taste of the residences within. The young woman felt sorely out of place as she strode to one of the side elevators, waited for the doors to open, and waved her key fob in front of the sensor for David's floor. Summer tucked some of her auburn hair behind an ear. It was one of the few traits she'd inherited from her father, along with her warm chocolate eyes. That's what she'd been told anyway. She barely remembered anything about him to begin with, given that he had passed away when she was five years-old. It was a tragic car accident, her mother and grandmother told her, but they'd shielded her from the worst of it. Sometimes when she looked at pictures of Christopher Hayes and saw the resemblance between the two of them, flashes of childhood memories would come back to her: giggling and running through a house, another one of asking him to push her higher on a swing, and yet another him tousling her hair. Memories that seemed to slip through her grasp the more she tried to hold onto them. The elevator dinged and Summer exited to a small clearance area, holding the fob up to the sensor on the front door to David's condo. The lock clicked open and she turned the handle to step inside. It was a massive 4 bedroom, 2-and-a-half bath unit, impressively the only unit on the floor. She could hardly conceive that it was his. The last time she had seen him, she was still 8 years-old back in Centralia. In some ways there were stronger memories of him than of her dad―she remembered crying on Uncle Dave's lap at the funeral, and walking home with him when he picked her up from school. She remembered the first Christmas without her dad, how she'd sleepily snuck downstairs to catch Santa, only to see Uncle Dave taking a bite of one of the cookies she'd left out on the kitchen counter. He had given her a wide grin, convinced her that Santa asked him to help on his gift-giving duties, and then sent her back upstairs to await Christmas morning. All of it seemed a lifetime away now. And he was no longer Uncle Dave. Judging from the faint smell of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of the running tap in the kitchen, Summer knew David was up and about. He normally got up earlier than she did anyway, starting work and opening the studio downstairs, but just today she'd decided to get up, explore the neighborhood, and see what was around. The past week had been spent unpacking and getting everything ready for class that she'd hardly had time to just... relax. And that was even before mentioning all the (still unanswered) texts her mother had left since the move-in day. She felt her phone buzz in her back pocket and stopped walking just short of the kitchen to open the latest one. "Are you listening to me Summer???" Marie's sharp tone came loud and clear even through the words on the screen. "You behave or I will drag you back myself. Don't think I won't ask your Uncle David to update me." Summer fought the urge to roll her eyes. "K." was all she typed back before putting her phone away and going to find something to eat. |
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David Callahan stared at the text on his cell phone, the Google Pixel for its fabulous camera of course, Marie was asking for yet another update on Friday morning only a week after her daughter had arrived to come live with the family friend. This was request seven of seven. She'd asked for one the day Summer had dropped off, then again, the very next morning, and every morning after that. Talking about helicopter parenting, David thought to himself as he composed a very similar message to the past six, he'd sent off; Summer is good. Everything is going great. I've got a full day booked, but looking forward to the three-day weekend, how's Auntie doing? It hadn't taken the forty-two-year-old photographer very long to put together the facts, Summer was ignoring her mother and so Marie was coming to him as the appointed 'guardian' of her precious girl to get all of her information, but it was becoming easier and easier to deflect her initially pointed questions about whether Summer was eating right and behaving like an angel. It really hadn't taken David long to figure it out. Marie had been devastated, understandably, about the death of her loving husband and David's best friend Christopher. The woman, just like her mother, was an absolute whirlwind of life who filled the sails of everyone around her and when Chris had died there was nowhere else but her daughter for the storm to turn. It wasn't angry or an abusive storm, no, David, his own mother, or Auntie all would have stepped in if that was the case, it was just Marie needed someone to devote her endless energy towards and without a husband it had all fallen to Summer to bear. It was too much for just about anyone, only Christopher with his cool, calm, live and let live attitude could handle all of the energy constantly bubbling in Marie's soul that needed someone to focus it on, too much for anyone, let alone a young girl. Even David hadn't been able to figure it out back then. He'd contemplated it. There had been hints, ever so gentle and subtle ones from his mother Brenda, best friends with Auntie and Christopher's mother, that he should think about it. He'd thought about it long and hard. Endless nights of dreams of what it might be like, if they could pull it off, could he be more than Uncle Dave to that precious girl and more than Chris's best friend to her mother? It really wasn't meant to be. He helped as best he could through the funeral and the following years, but he and Marie just were not a match as badly as he wanted it to be, he thought he might owe it to Chris to give it a chance. There'd even been a kiss or two, but nothing more than that had ever happened between the two of them; there was just no kindling that the forced sparks could take hold of. No matter how much David doted on Summer, or wished he could love Marie, it just wasn't meant to be. By the time they'd mutually agreed it would never work Summer was growing up, and David's business was taking off; he needed to find a place in Seatle to be closer to his clients and cut out the hour plus drive he was so often forced to take. That'd given him the space he needed to figure out that Marie just wanted to, needed to be involved with others besides little Summer in order to function; she was so full of life that she needed way more than a teenaged girl and still grieving best friend could provide. So now, even her desperate texts littered with exclamation points didn't bother David and he calmly redirected her focus towards other things than her daughter. Yesterday he'd asked about her date, and almost immediately she'd seemed to have briefly forgotten about needing to know everything when it came to her daughter. Briefly. She was back at it this morning, of course, but now David was redirecting her towards Auntie, a woman who had recovered as best as she could from the death of her son and always seemed to know what the right thing to say or do was. Getting the two of them to reconnect had been hard, but it had been worth it. It had also been what caused Summer to come and stay with him. So, in fact whether the reconnection was worth it was still yet to be decided. David had been quite opposed to the idea of a young woman, who he'd only seen at holidays and get togethers over the past ten years, being sent to live in his apartment. Especially when he realized he was supposed to be Marie's spy and by-proxy-jailer. The first conversations they'd had on the matter had made him feel sorry for Summer, while also feeling happy and sad that he hadn't tried harder to make things work with Marie. He was happy that he'd escaped her intensity and vigor, but sad that she'd not found someone who could more appropriately appreciate her overwhelming love. He'd thought the matter was settled, after his and Marie's first conversation where he'd stood his ground, he didn't want to give up his dating life or how simple his life was. But then Auntie had gotten involved. Auntie and his own mother. That was a battle, he knew there was zero chance of escaping without giving up something, so he'd gone into it viewing it as a war instead. He'd lost the battle, Summer would be staying with him during her four years of school, but he'd won a few key victories; no, he wouldn't be her legal guardian, nor would he be her jailer, if she was coming to his apartment he'd be doing things his way. In a way that was a bit of a stalemate, actually, Marie had insisted on curfews, Air Tag's, shared google locations, David driving Summer everywhere and staying with her during her dance practices, and daily phone calls. She'd settled on a bi-weekly call, daily texts, and David letting it be known there would be a no boys allowed policy whenever David went to asleep. Various other details were hammered out and before he knew it, the little girl who'd briefly been his niece in all but words, and nearly became his stepdaughter, but that he'd seldom seen since was living with him. She's good! Her operation went well omg she was flirting sooo much with the doctor!!! He was cute… David smiled at his phone, confident he'd figured it out, until he heard the door opening to the apartment. He still hadn't gotten used to someone else having FOB access to his home, and always assumed it was maintenance coming in for something he'd forgotten about, but no it was just Summer. He hadn't figured her out yet, and he wasn't anywhere close to doing so. The first week had mostly been a polite introduction, their first weekend a blurry mess of unpacking, shopping, and setting up his guest suite as Summer's new bedroom and home. It was like a honeymoon phase, David thought, they seemed to work together well but it was a bit like walking on eggshells as they both sorted through their thoughts and feelings. The handsome bachelor's were mostly nostalgic happiness and bits of regret, mixed with some incredulity and these really strange moments where he was transported outside of his life looking inwards. He remembered his little niece Summer screaming happily as she was tossed around the pool from father to uncle or how her tiny fingers held onto his hand so tightly, that was the nostalgia. The regrets were, again, sparse but present when he fell asleep wishing he was still Uncle Dave and Chris was still around. The incredulity was mostly about how quickly Summer had grown up and how gorgeously independent she was, he was a bit abashed to have figured out that he'd dated women very similar to Summer in all but her official age. The pixie's cute face, tiny, adorable figure, and smooth skin all very much within the bullseye of his preferred type, that realization had really wrenched him out of the now and made him wonder what the neighbors might be thinking. "In here Summer," David called out as he turned his back on the hallways leading from the apartments entrance, he made his black coffee quickly with just a pinch of sugar and a splash of cold water, he liked it strong, but he also like to drink it immediately upon brewing and the thick coal colored liquid always came out boiling like lava. He sacrificed a bit of strength to keeping his tongue from burning to ash. On the kitchen bar's center island, he'd already laid out his morning spread of toast and a healthy mix of fruit, his meticulous maintenance of his lanky six-two frame was not just genetic luck. Seeing the green labeled plastic cup made his handsome face cringe, he couldn't help it, he'd told Summer multiple times that his coffee was far better than that sugar water, "Well, that's one thing we have in common, getting up for our fix?" David's voice was about as handsome as the rest of him, especially in the morning before having drank his coffee as there was a bit of a rasp while the rest of his tenor voice was warm and almost always hinting at a joke. He sipped his coffee, took a bite of the lightly buttered toast, and sipped the black liquid gold again, "Want something?" He'd motioned to the spread on the table while his blue-grey eyes watched Summer with only the slightest wince as the hot liquid came close enough to them for him to feel the heat. He wondered if he'd ever figure out Summer, not that he had to, but he wanted to. Those five years of watching her grow up next to Chris and Marie were still five of his favorite years spent on earth, and if there was something he could do to be called Uncle Dave again, he'd decided to try and do it. Yet, throughout this first week it really felt like some sort of strange icebreaker, waiting for the other shoe to drop, he suspected that had something to do with all of the 'horror' stories Marie had warned him with, half of which seemed out of proportion and another quarter seemed fake. Still, David didn't doubt that Summer's politeness this week definitely had something to do with not being able to figure her out, and perhaps figuring out what sort of relationship they'd have at the end of these coming four years. |
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Summer stood leaning against one of the walls that led to the expansive kitchen, still unused to the all the space. David was just beyond the kitchen island, preparing his coffee the same way he did every morning since she arrived. She studied him for just a moment while he had his back turned. He'd been polite and friendly since she had moved in, but she couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was only trying to replicate the familiarity they used to share. A time when he would have come over on a Saturday to make her childhood favorite: chocolate chip pancakes with bowl of fresh fruit on the side, even though he knew she would only pick out the strawberries and grapes. Her phone buzzed again, and she opened it to see yet another notification from Marie. It wasn't a text this time—only a reaction to her last response—and she almost laughed seeing the thumbs down attached to her terse “K.” Her mom always found new ways to fight with her, much to her annoyance. But it wasn’t like Summer was much better either. She had just ignored her mother for a whole week before sending her a passive-aggressive one-letter text. David started talking and she simply flicked her eyes from her phone up to him, her brown eyes regarding him silently, and then back down to the island counter. “Oh. Yeah, thanks,” she said, plucking a green grape from the wooden cutting board, still damp from his rinsing them, and popped it into her mouth. A few awkward seconds went by as she chewed, neither of them saying a word to each other. She wondered why he was being so nice to her. Surely her mom would have told him about all her unsavory behavior over the years, and why she had even sent Summer to live with him in the first place. He likely knew about her curfew breaking and skipping school, not to the mention the backtalk and shitty attitude she’d subjected Marie to over the years. A couple months of this, Summer thought bitterly, and David would probably hate her too. He’d call her just as unruly and impossible, and maybe he’d try to pawn her off back to her grandmother or something once the semester was over. Her stomach grumbled, and she sheepishly reached out to grab a couple strawberries too. The latte from Starbucks hadn’t nearly been enough to sate her hunger, and now she was glad that David offered her food. He’d mostly left her alone since her arrival, leaving her to her devices during the workday, and they really only shared a few dinners together in the evening. Still, he treated her warmly. Like family, or as close as possible to it, even if she didn’t view him in that way anymore. A few seconds after she swallowed the berries, Summer saw the inquisitive look in his eyes—like yesterday and the day before, she figured he was going to ask what her plans for the day were. Most of her unpacking had been done the first few days, and shopping for classes had followed in the days after. 
Summer scoffed internally. If her mother wanted her to be watched over so badly, then she would make it as difficult as possible for her to get information. It was petty to be sure, but that's what they all signed up for. All of them. |
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If it were possible for David to hear Summer’s inner dialogue, he probably would have done just what she expected, wrapping her in a hug and attacking the ticklish spots he remembered from her childhood, having his niece back would have been nice for him. As he could not hear what was going on inside of her head, David instead focused on the silence and ate his breakfast as well, only letting out a friendly smile at the sound of Summer’s growling stomach. His eyes had flickered there but came right back up as he prepared for the day with another sip of coffee and finishing up the buttoning of his white business shirt that he always left unbuttoned until he finished his meal; just in case he ended up spilling something on it. With the resumption of adulting invading his mind at having finished buttoning up, he looked at Summer with a question in his eyes, the same question he’d asked every day; not quite realizing it might be seen as controlling since to him it was just being polite. “Did mom call you yet?" With his only recourse being a shake of his head, the mouthful of cantaloupe being a bit larger than he’d anticipated, he found his eyes drawn once again to the tummy that had gurgled so impolitely just a few seconds ago. This time it was thanks to the flash of white ivory skin, coming from an area of the body that David appreciated much more than the average guy, he knew. Over the course of the past week, he’d been very careful about where his eyes traveled when engaging with Summer, the knowledge that she was no longer a little girl having been made quite plain with all the flesh revealing outfits that seemed to be standard for women of her age. But it was so nice to look at, the soft white skin Summer had been blessed with and it was always just right there for him to see. Last night in that place between consciousness and sleep he’d decided that so long as he looked, and did nothing else, there couldn’t be any harm done, could there? Of course, by the time he woke up today he’d completely forgotten that decision but apparently his eyes hadn’t as they’d jumped downwards, unprompted, before David was forced to consciously bring them back up to Summer’s brown eyes that revealed some of the disdain that always seemed to leak out when Marie was mentioned. On their way back to her cute face, one David still had trouble viewing as grown up Summer and not the cute little niece he remembered, his blue-grey eyes also darted to her bare shoulder. That was enough for him to remember his own internal conversation, which he decided to resume having once he was alone with his own thoughts, there absolutely could be harm! "If she does, I guess just let her know I'm gonna be out today. Probably busy." By now David had chewed up and swallowed the orange fleshy fruit that had preoccupied his mouth, so at least he could respond with words and not move his head, he didn’t trust the movement at the moment to let his eyes remain looking at Summer’s cute face. 
David chuckled a bit mostly at his own expensive hobby that he’d been lucky enough to turn into such a thriving business, before finishing the last bit of acidic and rich coffee. The sleeves of his business shirt were still rolled up, so that he could wash up his coffee mug, pouring his second cup of coffee into a yeti, and clean up the breakfast spread with experienced ease. One thing he liked about Summer was that she wasn’t very fussy when it came to food, well it was either that or David’s many trials and tribulations of learning how to cook for his dates had finally paid off and he’d turned into a decent cook. He hoped it was the latter thanks to his own healthy ego, but also because he remembered Marie’s cooking to be delicious but full of starch and carbohydrates whereas David focused on healthy and lean meals. Maybe they were just a match when it came to food? Whatever it was, the bachelor was happy that the delicious side of his lifestyle hadn’t been affected much by Summer’s arrival. Even though it did pain him to see her sugar drinks with a splash of coffee, he couldn’t win every little battle, he knew that. |
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Summer's thumbs flew across the screen of her phone, her nails making light tapping noises against the glass. She was hardly paying attention to David talking, even about her mother, until she heard the clink as he placed his coffee cup on the counter. Her eyes flicked upward to him then, watching him as he started looping a tie around his collar. From somewhere in the depths of her mind, another memory floated up... David and other family members had comer over after Easter service for lunch, and Summer—then 8 years-old—had been seated next to him on the sofa. She'd seen him loosen the knot and demanded to know how he'd gotten it to tie, her small fingers fumbling across the silk. And patient as ever, almost as a real father would, he'd chuckled and guided her hands through the loops. A Windsor knot, he'd called it. That had been one of the last holidays they spent together as a family before he'd moved to Seattle, and one of the last times she had ever felt happy with her family. Her eyes followed David's fingers as they did his tie now, the same knot being carefully looped to perfection. Somehow the details that stood out were different now. Her focus was on the man rather than the activity; there was strength and masculinity there that she had never noticed before, but then, Summer was also different now. Like all young women she was aware of her sexuality and the men around her. David's eyes met hers for the briefest moment and she looked back down at her phone, barely registering the embarrassment she felt. It wasn't like he was some strange man she had been thrust to (he practically would have been considered family), and yet there was a newness. A sense of meeting for the first time that both confused and intrigued her. "I am going shopping," she finally replied, giving David an odd look as if he were missing the most obvious thing in the world. "I need clothes. I don't have anything to wear." She saw David give her a puzzled look, his mouth opening and closing after a moment like he wanted to say something. "They're dirty...?" Summer continued, a defensive tone creeping into her voice. "I'm not going to wear my pajamas all day and the only other stuff I have are winter clothes." Indeed, in her room was a hamper full of t-shirts, shorts, and leggings that she'd worn over the past week. At home Marie had done all the laundry, with Summer only having had to fold her clothes—and even that had been a task that was hit or miss. Marie had often yelled at her daughter to put away her clothes, and Summer had equally often neglected the few chores she had. David was lucky, Summer thought to herself, that she wasn't just leaving clothes strewn about her bedroom, or piled up in the laundry room for someone else to do. The young girl stared at him awkwardly, watching him put the stainless steel Yeti down on the counter. He was looking at her strangely again. "So... can I go, or...?" |
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The number of logical jumps that David had to make once Summer had revealed her reasoning for needing to go shopping was rather large, having become so used to adulthood, he didn't even understand her thought train at first. It was undoubtedly what caused his mouth to open and close without any words leaving and created the confused, questioning, strange look on his face. He'd seen the number of boxes labeled 'clothes' that had entered his loft apartment, hell he'd carried half of them, there was no possible way Summer had run out of clothes this fast in his mind. For a moment, and what tripped him up even longer, he considered the often-used trope in romcom's and drama TV that many of his dates insisted on watching about women always needing a specific outfit for specific purposes, but even that was grasping at straws once Summer fully admitted to everything just being dirty. Naturally, David's eyes bounced from Summer's slightly accusatory face to the small but efficient closet located next to the bathroom where his washing machine and dryer combination were stacked. His memory raced through the previous week, and he quickly realized that other than his own consistent schedule he'd not once heard or seen the machines being used. That wasn't concrete evidence since there were plenty of times, long stretches of which he was not present, so he'd just assumed Summer had cleaned her clothes while he was at work. But a sinking feeling appeared in his gut as he took a sip of his Yeti, the answer was obvious, but how had Marie never taught her only child to accomplish such a basic task? David had assumed a lot about their relationship, and so far, he'd been proven mostly about how strict Summer's overbearing mother was, but not teaching her how to adult seemed completely out of place. "So... can I go, or...?" Immediately, David winced ever so slightly, he'd tried to avoid these situations from the beginning; trying to break Summer of the habit that put him in the position of jailer and warden. He knew what he had to do now, but he also realized that he needed to do it in a way that kept those labels as far away from his name as possible, or at the very least not create a similarity between his style and her mother's or else David knew things would become just as hostile as her previous warzone of a living situation. He frowned now, looking between Summer, her bedroom, the wash closet, and finally at his watch; hoping he needed to get down to the studio as an excuse but unfortunately there was plenty of time to do what needed to be done. "I need to show you something first," David thought it was best to ignore the questions, but not specifically addressing them he hoped what he was about to do wouldn't be seen as an extension of Marie's control, but something new. "Come on, let's take a look," His hand raised up almost like he was going for a handshake, which intuitively he knew Summer would start the motion to return, but instead of a gentle shake his powerful hand quickly closed the distance between the two of them and took his delicate housemate's hand in a guiding grasp. He didn't pull hard or sharply, but the force of his grasp was permanent and attached to his mass, which was significantly more than Summer's, so she was forced to follow along the unhurried pace as he guided her towards her bedroom. Pulling along his niece in all but blood brought back a fleeting moment when Summer, frightened by the darkness of the snake exhibit at the zoo but desperately wanting to see the reptiles, had summoned a load of bravery from the same hold and walked with her uncle into the gloomy darkness. Back then her hands had been much smaller, but just as smooth as they are now. Her grasp had been tight, fear of losing hold of her confidence forcing her tiny fingers to cling to his much larger hand, back in the present there was just the smallest hint of that of that desperation as Summer probably prepared for one of the scoldings her mother was famous for. In both instances David's large thumb brushed against the back of her hand, a small calming influence that the kind older man did unconsciously as he tried to be that pillar of confidence to one of his most favorite people on earth. It continued as they stepped through the threshold of Summer's room and David observed the chaos that was her laundry setup. "Ah, ok, no big deal, we can fix you right up," David's own confidence was evident in his voice and face, on which his powerful jaw twitched momentarily as he decided to press on quickly and confidently while he had her attention. Using his grasp on Summer for one last movement, he guided her to the edge of her bed and while his free moved to guide her shoulders until she sat on the edge of the bed. "You sit there, and we'll knock this out together, quickly." Finally releasing his grasp, David swung around and gathered the chaotic hamper up in one smooth motion, continuing his turn and dumping the pile of clothes atop the comforter next to what seemed to be a rather shocked Summer. There were actually three hampers amongst the mess, which had obviously confused the newly graduated young adult, she'd stacked the blue, white, and gray hampers together and piled all her clothes atop them. David quickly separated the three of them on the floor and took a seat on the bed across the pile of clothes from Summer. He quickly scanned the mess, picking out a pair of white socks and holding them up for her to see. "Whites go in the white basket, colors in the blue, delicates in the gray, delicate mean things with sensitive fabrics like silk or lace, whites are all white clothes since you don't want bleach to make any colors bleed, colors just mean everything else." With David's help it didn't take long for the clothes to fill up their appropriate hampers, especially since he wasn't being particular about how much effort Summer put in; since this was her first experience, he coached her whenever she had a question and didn't undermine her efforts at all. He thought his help would convince her that this wasn't a demand or request on his part, this was just something that adults did, without really thinking about whether they had to or not, because they did. Once the hampers were full, or rather the bed was empty, he stacked the three hampers together and lifted them up easily, not bothering to provide any other friction points by insisting she carry anything; besides since she'd waited so long the load was rather heavy. "Okay, follow me." David led the way to stacked cleaning machines and popped the colors into the washing machine, before stepping to the side, giving Summer a nudge closer to the machine, and sliding behind her so that his chest was pressed into her shoulders and head. His arm slid down to her wrist and lifted her limp hand towards the controls of the machine before giving her a quick overview. "Here you select whites, colors or delicate," His hand helped hers twist the nob to the appropriate setting, "Then the corresponding fill stations will light up." Again, his hand guided hers to where the detergent loader flashed, popping it open, and reaching her hand to the stacked bottles of detergent, "Just like the hampers, blue cap is washing detergent, and you'll use it for all three types, a full load for colors, half for delicate, and a quarter for whites, but the machine will tell you that. White lid, that's bleach, don't let it get on your skin, for whites only, and delicates get the grey cap, fabric softener, the machine does the rest." Once the detergent was filled, with Summer holding the bottle and David still guiding her from behind, the last action was him guiding her finger to the start button and standing back. "Not too hard right? Washing clothes? It's a constant in every adult life. Hmm," David made some mental calculations based on the amount of clothes he'd strewn about after one week, and added what the cooler months would bring, "I do my laundry twice a week, it's easier to keep up with it and it makes sure I always have clean clothes of what I want to wear. You should do the same thing, Sunday night so you have everything you want for the school week, and Thursday night or Friday morning, depending on your course schedule, so you have everything you want for the weekend." Just then David's head finally caught up to how close they'd been this whole time as a pang of unexpected pleasure flashed through his body. The feeling seemed to burst forth from multiple sources, Summer's sweet scent from her shampoo and conditioner, the sensation of his rough hands sliding along her soft arms and backside of her hands, and the gentle pressure between her shoulder blades and chest. It was wholly unexpected, and also came with brief flashes of a few of the delicate pieces of clothing they'd sorted, bikini bottoms and lacy things that at the time had only belonged to a category that David needed to teach Summer how to sort, but now filled his imagination with glimpses of her small body wearing those things. All of it combined into a rushing, pleasant buzz that caused him to take a step or two back, glancing at his watch and beginning to roll down his sleeves to button them; anything to keep him from needing to meet her gaze right at that moment. Finally, there was nothing left to do, so he glanced up, "So, sounds good?" He asked, as if it had already been settled. |
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David led her to her bedroom, and for whatever reason Summer found it hard to look at him as he explained how to sort the laundry, instead opting to stare at the baskets and absently nodding her head. There was was something both upsetting and vulnerable about being taught to do such a basic human task. Her first reaction was to tell him she wasn't a child and that she could sort her own laundry, but she held her tongue and instead started picking through the pile of dirty clothes. Running leggings with the colors. Cropped blouse with the whites. The two of them sat across each other working quietly, and it wasn't until she saw David reach for something pink and lacy that she finally broke the silence. "Oh, um, you don't—that's—" Summer stammered awkwardly, eyes wide as she watched him pick out a baby pink thong. Hot embarrassment burned across her face. She felt a little feint even, suddenly feeling woozy. But David kept his own gaze fixed on the pile of clothes, casually dropping the undergarment into the hamper for delicates before picking up one of her t-shirts and tossing it into the blue hamper. He said nothing, and Summer was glad for it. His lack of reaction didn't make up for how mortifying it was, but it did make the moment go by smoother. She would have died if he'd even looked up at her, much less said anything about what he'd just picked up. She let out a shaky breath, not realizing she'd been holding it in until after she exhaled. Reaching for another article of clothing, she began to sort again, keeping her eyes glued to the bed. The pile of laundry quickly grew smaller, Summer having attempted to discreetly pull out all of her bras and panties before David could accidentally pick up another one. Either she succeeded or he had tactfully avoided embarrassing her again, but it was a relief anyway when she finally had them all safely tucked away in the grey hamper. Once all the clothes were appropriately sorted, Summer followed David back to the laundry closet and let herself be pushed close to the stacked machines. For a moment she rolled her eyes, a small act of defiance at being told what to do, but the feeling was replaced by an acute awareness of touch as David stepped up behind her. Cologne flooded her senses, woody and warm, and she tensed her back feeling his chest press against her shoulders. Some distant part of her was aware he was showing her the controls of the machines, but it was difficult to focus with how close he was. His voice rumbled above her head, pleasant in her ears, and she only nodded along and made a soft "mhm" here and there to confirm what he was telling her. After she'd pressed the start button, he put his other hand on her shoulder and squeezed. The touch was warm, even partially covered by her cardigan, leaving a tingle where his thumb had connected on her bare back. Subconsciously, Summer leaned back and relaxed into his chest... And then David pulled away. "So, sounds good?" he asked, and Summer righted herself, hastily placing the detergent bottle back onto a shelf. Cool air wafted over her back and shoulders as she turned halfway around to peek at him, hesitant from the whatever strange energy had passed between them. A pause hung in the air until she finally compartmentalized the feelings, and she lifted her head to fully look at him, her face expressionless. "Sounds good," she said, shifting her eyes to the side and back again, "laundry on Sundays and Thursdays." The two of them stared at each other for another moment, and then Summer crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Are you going to watch me do the rest of my clothes, or..." There was a defensive note to her tone now, sarcastic and sharp. Clearly she had problems with authority, even as gentle as David had been with the instruction. The young woman was annoyed and didn't know why, but directed it to him regardless. And while Marie had likely warned David, it was the first time Summer had ever acted that way toward him. Her eyes looked guarded as she watched him adjust the final button on his left sleeve, and then they flicked downward to fixate on some distant spot on the floor. "I can take care of myself, but thanks," she said as a final statement, not meeting his gaze. "I know," she heard David say in response, his voice still kind and patient. And if she wasn't mistaken there was a hint of amusement in it as well, like an unvoiced chuckle that floated on top of the words. Another wave of annoyance flashed through her, followed by confusion. "I have to get going, but let me know if you need anything else," he said and then disappeared back to the kitchen. Summer heard him pick up his Yeti full of coffee and, before he could made his way to the front door, she scurried off back to her room. It was a relief to collapse on her back, stretching out across the bed as she heard the front door open, then close, and subsequently lock behind David leaving for the studio. A sigh escaped her chest, relieving the tension she'd felt since the two of them had sat on the bed just 15 minutes ago to sort through her laundry. If it had been her mother telling her to do laundry, things likely would have ended in a shouting match. In comparison, David's patience and soft teaching had been so unexpected that it was unnerving in some way. Foreign. Something she had no idea how to navigate, and it resulted in the conflicting feelings of vulnerability, self-consciousness, and indignation of how patronizing she perceived it to be. Like he was treating her like a child. What made it even more confusing was the unmistakable electricity she'd felt when his body was against hers. Summer was no stranger to her body or boys her own age. She'd, of course, had a couple high school boyfriends that her mother had never approved of. And in spite of her still being a virgin, she could recognize feelings of attraction when they hit her. And hit her they did—she could vividly recall the way David's chest felt on her back, his body tall and warm and large against her own. A warmth spread over her face again, this one more gentle, an odd mix of nervousness and shame at thinking of David in that way. She'd never thought of him like that before even when she saw him at the occasional Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner, but then again, years had passed since she'd properly spent time with him. It was like suddenly looking at him with brand new eyes. Still, the nagging feeling that it was weird, that she used to call him Uncle Dave, helped her dispel the feelings temporarily. It wasn't like he was ugly, Summer rationalized to herself, and anyone could see he was objectively handsome. Any woman in that position would have felt the same. So really, she couldn't be blamed for how she felt. It was only natural, wasn't it? The rest of her morning was taken up by the laundry, switching each batch out as they finished. Though David hadn’t taught her to use the dryer, it looked simple enough with the machine defaulting to a normal cycle, so it had been easy to just press the start button like she had with the washer. Finally the only things left drying were her panties, bralettes, and satin sleepwear, which she left running while she went out to shop anyway. She understood David showed her how to do laundry specifically so she wouldn’t have to spend money buying new clothes, but her mind had been set on it. And, like always, Summer did what she wanted whenever she wanted. |
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"I know," David had been desperately attempting to focus on anything else but his adorable houseguest up until the point where Summer required an answer from him. So many things had bubbled up from his fast-paced teaching moment that he'd been a little overwhelmed, but highest among the various surfacing emotions, warnings, and thoughts was the hint of a vulnerable, unsure, lashing-out that threatened to turn the productive morning upside down. He knew he was tempting fate, letting out just a hint of amusement with his confident pleasantness, but he couldn't help it once he'd been reminded about how young, coddled, and just as confident his young almost niece was. She'd been that way all along, but how it expressed itself as a cute little girl versus an angry teenager is what hid that personality so well, David was hoping that very soon he'd be able to see the next expression of young adulthood softening the edges of Summer's vulnerability. He finally finished with the buttons that he'd let baffled him long enough and snuck a glance at Summer's pretty face to make sure he hadn't set off one of her famous nuclear explosions. He hadn't, which was a relief, but seeing her vulnerability also added another feeling of desire that hit the kindhearted almost uncle like a freight train. He had the powerful urge to wrap her tiny frame in a hug, but the confusion was briefly overtaken by annoyance, and David suddenly knew better, "I have to get going, but let me know if you need anything else." David didn't so much as move in a hurry as he moved unconsciously, his mind scattered just a bit, more shocked now than overwhelmed at some of the feelings he was beginning to associate with his houseguest the more he found out about her. It wouldn't take a psychiatrist to diagnose Summer's issues with Marie nor the fairly standard feelings of nervousness associated with moving to a new place and entering a new lifestyle, but David as confident as happy and content with his life as he was, suddenly found himself wrestling with an issue he hadn't seen coming. Attraction. Not just to Summer's very pretty, petite, soft exterior but attraction to the innocent, helpless, rebellious, fiery personality that had in a very short amount of time both threatened the peaceful and organized life he'd built, but also endeared itself to him. By the time he'd grabbed his coffee and left the apartment David needed a moment, so he was thankful he had to wait on the elevator and for the slow ride down to the first floor. Normally he took the stairs, but it was easier to think without moving. Why had it taken a week for him to feel like this? That was the most pressing question in his mind. The answer was rather obvious, this was the first bit of real confrontation and the first time he'd overtly seen the reason behind the outbursts Marie had warned him so loudly about. It was sort of like finding a key to a chest where he'd locked up all his opinions and thoughts about the next four years, like his mind had purposefully waited until he knew the reasons behind Summer's problems with her mother before he gave himself the ability to start thinking about how to prevent that same thing happening here. What he hadn't expected was to be excited about having to do that, where did that come from? It took the rest of the day for David to wrestle that answer out of his own head, even taking lunch in his office so that there wasn't a chance to get more confused by bumping into Summer up in the apartment, while he worked with his clients in the studio or in the back office with the plethora of work on his desk; touching up photos for export or print was the bulk of it, billing the next chunk, and following all that up with reminders for next week's appointments. There weren't very many long stretches of his work day where his mind wasn't occupied save for the printing process, there he could have a think as his experienced eyes watched for any malfunctions with the printer that were exceedingly rare, and it was between those moments and his solitary lunch that he puzzled out his attraction to the idea that he and Summer would be in confrontation over the next few weeks, perhaps even months. The confident photographer wasn't keen on confrontation, especially not the kind that Marie's mother made crystal clear that existed between her and Summer, but he didn't mind teaching. In fact, if his artistic eye and penchant for people pleasing hadn't been so excellent he easily could have seen himself becoming a high school teacher or more likely a college professor, at least in art, David was not a bookworm suited for mathematics, history, computer science, or any of the more traditional teaching spots. Yet, for things he knew well, like photography and art, science and English, he could be passionate and patient, explaining concepts clearly and without any expectation other than showing his joy for the subject. It would also help that he was meticulous when it came to getting things done, the only way a dying artform like a photography business could be run, and quite strong headed about things. He realized throughout the day that he knew a lot about, and felt passionately about, being an adult. David loved being on his own, he loved the freedom but also the efficiency of taking care of everything on a daily basis that was required to earn that freedom, and he knew this was why he was excited about the upcoming conflict; he'd be able to teach Summer all about being an adult and how to earn that freedom and confidence she so badly craved. There was a moment of sobering silence and sadness that came with this dawning realization, remembering that it would have been his happy-go-lucky best friend Chris that would have been the one to balance out Marie's efficiency with the freedom Summer should have learned. But that sobering thought only ended up increasing David's desire to see it through, causing his jaw to firmly set and flex momentarily as he considered the implications of once again taking Chris's place. Thankfully it was easier now, not coming with the baggage of raising a little girl or trying to love Marie in a way that he just couldn't. Of course, through this whole mental exercise David had completely disregarded his physical attraction, and those brief fantasies of what Summer would look like in the skimpy undergarments she'd so quickly and secretly tried to pull from the clothing piles earlier before he could reach for them. That avoidance was forced to come to an end after he'd locked up the shop, returned to their apartment, and decided what to start for dinner. David had texted Summer, asking her if she'd prefer steak or fish, deciding he'd used the grill again before the weather turned cold as it did early up in the Northwest part of the country. It was his way of seeing if she'd be back for dinner, which David always tried to eat right around six PM and by asking her what she wanted he avoided the oppressive feeling of asking her if she'd be home. It seemed to work, since already she was responding with, 'Fish plz, back in 30.' And David no longer needed to pry that information from her delicate fingers over their text messages, the relieved and clear-headed redhead slapped the steak for him and salmon filet for Summer into their own separate marinade's before heading for the washer/dryer combo. The pride he felt at seeing the blue and white basket missing was momentarily lost as he unconsciously popped open the lid and pulled out an item at random in order to start folding; intent on putting his own laundry in directly afterwards. He froze, holding what could only be described as lingerie, white silk and lace all intertwined. Immediately those brief images he'd imagined earlier in the day slammed back into his minds eye, Summer wearing nothing but the slip of fabric he was holding in the air, giving him that same vulnerable look as before with just a hint of rebelliousness that his mind instantly translated into naughty desire. The muscle memory in his hands caused him to fold the panties before he could think better of it, dropping them into the white basket at his feet before he could stop himself and think, which he did briefly with a frown. He'd folded plenty of women's things, his infrequent guests who stayed long enough to need a load of laundry get done always cooing over his thoughtfulness, but was this a step too far with Summer? Folding might be, David thought as he turned on a heel, striding into her room and glancing around. Just as he thought, the clean clothes were strewn throughout the walk-in closet with no sense of organization, let alone being folded, and a total lack of use of the many, many hangars that cried out to his very organized mind to be utilized. David wasn't angry, he already knew Summer didn't know any better, but quickly he was excited, this would be another teaching opportunity! So instead of folding the auburn-haired student's clothes, save for the initial pair of panties, he tossed the rest in the basket and laid them on her bed before returning to start his laundry. Finally, David relaxed for the day, removing his work clothes in favor of a pair of loose jeans and tight fitting plain white tee shirt that showed of his chest and arms. He sat scrolling his phone, waiting for Summer to return and pondering how he'd go through this next teaching moment while various fantasies that he could not help at all flickered behind his eyes. Not wanting to overwhelm Summer's impressionable mind, nor remove the smile from her face, he waited for her to drop off her shopping without a comment save for the body language and facial expression of a slightly disappointed and curious man, since that was him for a brief second. Once she'd done, whatever it was she was doing, and walked out of her room David stood up and once again reached out his hand, not saying a word until she grasped it and was securely under his control. This process seemed to work better than words, Summer hardly dared to meet his eyes once her dainty fingers were encircled by his strong hand. "I was wrong Summer, it's not just washing your clothes that's the problem, here let me show you something, trust me, it'll only be a minute or two." Again, it was firm guidance that brought her into his master bedroom, with an identical in construction but utterly more efficiently organized walk-in closet. Shelves lined with folded pants, slacks, sweats, and anything else that didn't hold wrinkles. Those items were all hung on various and job specific hangars, even the clear drawers of underwear, socks, and undershirts revealed meticulously organized sets of colors and styles. A whole shelf for cuff links, bow ties, and handkerchiefs next to a row of shining watches intermixed with expensive colognes. Here David guided Summer to do a complete three-sixty by holding onto her shoulders as he spoke. "The real reason you bought more clothes, is probably that you have no idea what you own, and how could you if they're all stuffed in drawers or hidden on shelves? Look, if I want a brown collared shirt all I have to do is look at the ones hanging up and-" There was a pause as Summer's breath hitched and out came, "You went into my room!?" David's face screwed up, a highly raised eyebrow displaying his complete lack of understanding that something so mundane could even be considered a problem, he replied quite firmly, returning Summer's glare with iron confidence in the fact that he was in the right at this moment. His hands were still on her shoulders, and they turned her some more so that she could see the look on his face before he replied, revealing his power without any hint of anger or intent, simply reinforcing his emphatic statement that followed. On top of his incredulous and dismissive look was patience and kindness as he spoke in a measured tempo. "Yes I did, I was putting your hamper back, I needed to start my own laundry." |
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